Hyaluronic acid is a naturally-occurring polysaccharide containing alternating N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid monosaccharide units linked with beta 1-4 bonds and the disaccharide units linked with beta 1-3 glycoside bonds. It occurs usually as the sodium salt and has a molecular weight range of about 50,000 to 8xc3x97106.
The present invention provides a bone growth-promoting composition comprising hyaluronic acid and a growth factor such that the composition has a viscosity and biodegradability sufficient to persist at the site of desired bone growth for a period of time sufficient to promote bone growth.
Compositions comprising hyaluronic acid and a growth factor are provided which have the requisite viscosity and biodegradability.
As used herein, the term hyaluronic acid, abbreviated as HA, means hyaluronic acid and its salts such as the sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and the like, salts.
By growth factors, it is meant those factors, proteinaceous or otherwise, which are found to play a role in the induction or conduction of growth of bone, ligaments, cartilage or other tissues associated with bone or joints.
In particular these growth factors include bFGF, aFGF, EGF (epidermal growth factor), PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), IGF (insulin-like growth factor), TGF-xcex2 I through III, including the TGF-xcex2 superfamily (BMP-1 through 12, GDF 1 through 12, dpp, 60A, BIP, OF).